NWS RESEARCH
African American Women
+ Strength
Growing up as an African American woman, I was always struck by the quiet strength my mother, grandmother, and aunts displayed as they cared for others. They persevered in the midst of hardships, forever “keeping it together” for the sake of family and work life. In graduate school, I started studying this phenomenon, and I began to realize how this way of being provided many African American women life management strategies that resulted in both positive and negative psychological outcomes.
This phenomenon is known as the Strong Black Woman/Superwoman schema.
In my research, I found that this schema has led to African American women’s:
Reduced interest in seeking therapy
Discomfort talking about emotional concerns with others
Depression
Anxiety
Distress
Low Social Support
I offer keynote addresses and research talks about this topic. I also offer workshops for professional African American women looking for practical tips on how to release the pressure to be the “Strong Black Woman” and to create the life they desire.
For Booking Information
African Americans
+ Health
My experiences as an African American woman also ignited my curiosity about African Americans’ health outcomes. I examine how stressful events (e.g., trauma) and cultural factors (e.g., race-related stress) interact to influence African Americans’ health disparities. I have examined how gender, race, and socioeconomic status intersect to shape people’s help-seeking attitudes, health behaviors, and outcomes, such as depression, alcohol abuse, and suicide.
In this line of research I have examined some of the following topics:
African Americans’ attitudes toward mental health services
Intimate Partner Violence and trauma exposure in African American women
Suicide risk and resilience factors in African Americans
I offer keynote addresses and research talks about this topic. I also provide consultation for grant projects and organizations looking to tailor their services to meet the unique needs of African American communities.
For Consultation Rates & Availability
African Americans
+ Mindfulness
In 2012, I started leading mindfulness groups at a mental health clinic. I was impressed by the ways mindfulness changed people’s lives for the better, and yet, I was struck by how, not once, did any people of color come through the doors.
This prompted me to find out why. My colleagues and I started interviewing African Americans, and our interviews revealed that people wanted to see their cultural values reflected in health interventions and provided by people who understood their cultural background – that is, they wanted interventions developed “for us by us.” In additional studies, we also found that:
Mindfulness reduced the negative impact of racism and discrimination
Mindfulness reduced depression in African Americans
Mindfulness decreased suicidal ideation in African Americans
My colleagues and I are using these findings to develop a culturally-responsive mindfulness mobile app for African Americans. To learn more about the app, visit https://trifoia.com/mindful-you/
To invite me to talk about this work at your next organizational event or grant meeting